Alleged 'defective work' on Granville Street Bridge 'does not pose an immediate risk to the public,' Vancouver says
The City of Vancouver is trying to reassure the public that the Granville Street Bridge is safe, despite recently filing a lawsuit against a trio of contractors that suggests the opposite.
In a statement issued Tuesday, the city acknowledged that its court filing describes alleged defects in work that was done on the bridge as posing a "real and substantial danger" to the public.
"Without context," that phrase has raised concerns, the city said.
"This language is a legal requirement for the claim," the statement reads. "The defective work outlined in the civil claim does not pose an immediate risk to the public."
That work, according to the city's claim, took place from 2019 to 2021 and involved replacing expansion joints connecting various segments of the bridge, as well as the installation of rubber troughs underneath those joints to manage water runoff.
The city is alleging that three companies – Associated Engineering (B.C.) Ltd., which designed the project, Graham Infrastructure LP, which completed the work, and Ross Rex Industrial Painters Ltd., which was a subcontractor responsible for painting and recoating work – breached their contracts and were negligent in the completion of the project.
The city's allegations have not been proven in court, and the defendants have not yet filed a response to the lawsuit.
Specifically, the city alleges that the companies failed to complete all of the resealing work that was required, including "omitting the application of caulking." They also allegedly installed expansion joints that allow for "unintended ingress" of water and associated debris and installed rubber troughs that don't function as intended.
The end result – according to the city's civil claim – is that water, debris and chemicals such as road salt have caused and continue to cause corrosion and degradation to the bridge structure, which is the source of the aforementioned "real and substantial danger."
In its statement Tuesday, the city said public safety is its "highest priority" and that the bridge "does not pose any structural safety risks to the public," despite the language in the lawsuit.
It also noted that the work in question is not related to ongoing construction projects involving the bridge, including the Granville Connector project, which involves the deconstruction of the ramps on the north side of the bridge and the addition of infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists crossing the span.
The Granville Street Bridge was constructed in 1954 and is regularly inspected and repaired to ensure public safety, the city said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
For first time in more than 10 years, child dies of measles in Ontario
A young child has died of measles in Ontario, marking the first death in the province from the highly contagious virus in more than 10 years, a Public Health Ontario report confirms.
NEW Pack the macaroni necklace: Lessons on evacuations from a woman who fled one of Canada's worst wildfires
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
'Ugly produce': One way Canadians are shrinking rising grocery bills
As the cost of food in Canada has risen, grocery shoppers are looking at ways to reduce their grocery bill, and more are choosing price over beauty, turning to companies that deliver so-called 'misfit' produce at a fraction of the cost.
Vatican revamps norms to evaluate visions of Mary as it adapts to Internet age and combats hoaxers
The Vatican on Friday radically reformed its process for evaluating alleged visions of the Virgin Mary, weeping statues and other seemingly supernatural phenomena, insisting on having the final say in whether the events are worthy of popular devotion.
Wildfires burning across Canada: Communities threatened as flames creep closer
Thousands of residents fled Fort McMurray this week, fearing a repeat of the 2016 wildfire that forced out the entire community and torched more than 2,400 homes.
5 secrets to moving better and preventing avoidable injury
Countless people seek emergency care for back pain, muscle strains and similar injuries resulting from “moving wrong” during mundane, everyday tasks such as bending over to tie shoes, lifting objects or doing household chores.
Zach Bryan and girlfriend Brianna Chickenfry are 'happy and alive' after 'traumatizing' car accident
Zach Bryan and his girlfriend Brianna LaPaglia were involved in a scary car accident earlier this week, according to LaPaglia, who recalled the experience in a candid video posted to her TikTok page earlier this week.
Trudeau calls New Brunswick's Conservative government a 'disgrace' on women's rights
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assailed New Brunswick's premier and other conservative leaders on Thursday, calling out the provincial government's position on abortion, LGBTQ youth and climate change.